WHat is trans*?

Trans* is an umbrella term to describe a diverse group of individuals who cross or transcend culturally-defined categories of gender. The gender identity of trans* people differs to varying degrees from the sex they were assigned at birth. The term trans* encompasses (but is not limited to) those who identify as transgender, genderqueer, trans, transsexual, androgynous, agender, bigender, two spirit, and gender non-conforming.

The asterisk is used as a visible signifier of the diversity within trans* communities. Trans* people can be of any race, class, disability, faith, culture, sexual orientation, or citizenship status, and can have a vast variety of gender identities and expressions.

GLOSSARY

TRANS* - Trans* is an umbrella term that refers to all of the identities within the gender identity spectrum. There’s a ton of diversity there, but we often group them all together (e.g., when we say “trans* issues). Trans (without the asterisk) is best applied to trans men and trans women, while the asterisk makes special note in an effort to include all non-cisgender gender identities, including transgender, transsexual, transvestite, genderqueer, genderfluid, non-binary, genderfuck, genderless, agender, non-gendered, third gender, two-spirit, bigender, and trans man and trans woman. -

Cisgender - a description for a person whose gender identity matches their sex assigned at birth. In simple words, cisgender is the opposite of transgender. Compare heterosexual and homosexual. Genderqueer - (1) a blanket term used to describe people whose gender falls outside of the gender binary; (2) a person who identifies as both a man and a woman, or as neither a man nor a woman; often used in exchange with “transgender”Intersex - a person with a set of sexual anatomy that doesn’t fit within the labels of female or male (e.g., 47,XXY phenotype, uterus, and penis) Mak Nyah - a Malay blanket term used to describe a person who was assigned a male sex at birth, but identifies as a womanThirunangai: a Tamil blanket term used to describe a person who was assigned a male sex at birth, but identifies as a womanTransgender: a blanket term used to describe all people who are not cisgender; occasionally used as “transgendered” but the “ed” is misleading, as it implies something happened to the person to make them transgender, which is not the case -

Transitioning: a term used to describe the process of moving from one sex/gender to another, sometimes this is done by hormone or surgical treatmentsTranssexual: a person whose gender identity is the binary opposite of their biological sex, who may undergo medical treatments to change their biological sex, often times to align it with their gender identity, or they may live their lives as the opposite sex; often confused with “trans-man”/”trans-woman”Transvestite: a person who dresses as the binary opposite gender expression (“cross-dresses”) for any one of many reasons, including relaxation, fun, and sexual gratification; often called a “cross-dresser,” and often confused with “transsexual”Trans-man: a person who was assigned a female sex at birth, but identifies as a man; often confused with “transsexual man” or “FTM”Trans-woman: a person who was assigned a male sex at birth, but identifies as a woman; often confused with “transsexual woman” or “MTF” - See more at: http://itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/2013/01/a-comprehensive-list-of-lgbtq-term-definitions/#sthash.ewCfprrr.dpuf